EAT, BUY, LEARN. This is the “mantra” Eataly in Florence seems to have adopted and I decided to test.
For the “Eat” part, everything had been set a long time ago. I like good food. I like eating with friends, family, I like eating even by myself.
Which is an interesting experience, though not so much fun.
I like reading and talking and learning about food. I buy books, tools, raw materials whenever I can or feel in the mood.
So even the “Buy” part is more or less established.
The “Learn” part is a different story. I decided to re-open this chapter (I took a few cooking classes so far, but nothing new since last year) going to a a cooking class Eataly has listed in its 2019 calendar.
“Tricks of contemporary cusine” was the one I attended, led by impressive chef Ginevra D’Alessandro. She has talent and passion. A compelling pair when you deal with pots and pans. She taught us how to make amuse bouche using spicy gorgonzola covered with a jelly tangerine coat. It was really contemporary cusine, but I loved the result. And the taste.
Curious of how to make it?
It is really simple. Take a portion of spicy gorgonzola – I presume that with sweet gorgonzola the flavor won’t change dramatically – put it in a small basin and let warm at room temperature then add some cream and the grated peels of six tangerines and mix together. Once you have a smoother mix, use your hands to make some small balls with the mixed cheese and put them to cool in the fridge for 20 minutes. Remove the cheese balls from the fridge, skewer and dive them one by one into the jelly you made with the tangerine juice. Do it before the jelly solidifies, or they will get lumpy.
Put each one in a saucer, top it with a basel bud to simulate a tangerine leaf and enjoy
They will look great and taste intriguing. I thought them really good, but that is just my personal taste.
HERE are the quantities for 10 tangerines of cheese
spicy Gorgonzola: 200 grams
cream: 250 grams
organic tangerines: 10
kappa jelly, as needed
sugar, as needed
TO MAKE the tangerine jelly: put the juice of the 10 tangerines in a pot, add a spoon of sugar and some kappa jelly as well. Make it boil then let it simmer for 5 minutes. Remove the pot from the fire and let cool the jelly, but not too much, before putting the cheese balls into it .
THE CLASS with chef Ginevra D’Alessandro was, as I wrote, really a good one. She taught us also how to make ‘Babà’ cake using the soda siphon and delicious potato ‘gnocchi’ with an unusual tomato sauce.
But that is another story.
Stay connected… 